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LettersPa-tcnt No. 80,839, dated August l1, 1868.

y IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE HAY-FORKS.y

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY GONCERN Be it known that I, ANTHONY SMITH, of Schellsbvurg,in the county of Bedford, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHorse Hay-Forks, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact` description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which make part of this specification, and in whichfi i Figure l represents a view in elevation of one side of a'hay-fork embracing my improvements.

Figure 2 represents a similar view ofV the sliding bar, which moves and locks the teeth, detached. i

Figure 3 represents an edge View of the lower part of the fork. i i

Myl invention has for its object the production of a strong, simple, and effective hay-fork, the teeth of which can be automatically locked, without the use of springs, whenlifting the load; and also one inwhich the load may be compressed, while being lifted, to avoid scattering the hay.

The improvements herein claimedeonsist-` I First, in anovel method 'of combining, in a hay-fork, a shank or main har; pivoted Vteeth to grasp the hay;

i a sliding bar or pitman,linked or pivoted to the teeth, and arranged outside of and parallel with the main bar a locking-lever pivoted on and oscillating in a planeA parallel with the main bar; and a loop on the sliding bar embracing both the shank and locking-bolt.

Second, in a novel method of combining, in a hay-fork, a shank; a locking-lever vibrating on the shank; i

a loop, embracing the shank, and attached toal sliding'bar having a laterally-projecting foot working in 'a slot in the bar, and connected, hy linked connections, withteeth also pivoted to Work in a slot in the bar.

i Third, in a novel method of combining, with a slotted shank, a .spear-headarranged with itsdedges diagonal to the slot of the shank; pivoted teeth,oscillating in the slot'in the shank; a sliding bar, and a self-acting locking-device. i A i v I Fourth, in a novel method of combining, in a horse hay-fork, shank, a sliding link, and lever vibrating' on a pivot on the shank, in aplhneparallel therewith, and which is thrown into position to lock the teeth, when lifting, by the sliding of the loop on the shank as the teeth are turned up by the descent of. the shank into the hay.

Fifth, in a novel method of compressing the load, before lifting it, by means of pins or skewers inserted into the load after it is grasped by the teeth.

In the accompanying drawings, which show. all my improvements embodied in one apparatus, a rectangular' shank, A, is shown as provided with an eye, B, for the attachmentof the hoisting-rope, and with a spear, C, to4

penetrate the hay. The edges of this spear, it will be observed, are arranged diagonally t0 the side'sof' the shank or-toits slot, thus affording a larger cutting-surface when entering the hay. v

The teeth er lifting-prongs D oseillate freely in a vertical-,plane on a pivot, d, in the slot A of the shank, and are, respectively, connected by pin-jointed links e el to the lower end of a sliding bar, E, and to a toe or projection, e2, on the bar. |lhis toe extends through the slot, and the pivot of the link e prevents its retraction,4

and thus serves as a guide to kleep the sliding bar E parallel with its shank. u

The' upper end of the sliding bar is bent round t-he` shank, so as'to form a loop, E', which guides that end of the har.

A locking-lever, I", is pivoted atf to the4 shank, so as to oscillate parallel therewith. Itis enclosed by the Y loop E', which thus serves as a guide to keep it in'place, and is provided with an eye'atits up'per end for the attachment of the tripping-rope'F,'which passes through a hole, in the top of the shank. l A shoulder, f', on the lever, acts as a stop, to limit the descent of the teeth when lifting,'and thus lock them in position.

AThe lever is curved insuch manner that, as the loop rises, the shoulder is pressed under the loop. Y In'operation, the fork descends into the hay with the teeth in the position shown in the blue lines in fig. 1, where, it will be seen, they project 'beyond'the shank. As the spear C penetratesthe hay, the teeth rise under the hay into therposition'shown in red lines, carrying up the loop4 E'. As soon as the latter .passes above the shoulder f', the lever F falls to that side, and the shoulder comes under the loop.` As the fork rises, the loop falls on the shoulder 'and is locked there. Before lifting the load, pinsG are inserted crosswise into the hay, as shown in the drawings. These pins are suspended by a cord, g, from the shank, so that when the shank rises, their upper ends are drawn together, thus compressing the hay to be lifted.

The load is discharged by withdrawing the shoulder j" from beneath the loop, when the bar and teeth drop Y into'the position shown by the bluelines, 'and the hay is discharged.

In 'descending into the hay, the teeth may be turned up ,into the position shown in black lines, in which event the fork is to be forced down until the teeth are below the hay. When the fork rises, they will assume the position shown in red, and the operation will be the saine as before.

Itwill thus be seen that my fork possesses thc capacity of seizing the load whether the teeth are raised or lowered in entering the hay. The rods Gare more especially intended for heavy loads, and may ordinarily be dispensed with, if preferred. What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Pat-ent, is f 1.' The combination, in a horse hay-fork, of the shank, the piveted teeth, the sliding bar, the vibrating locking-lever, and the loop, the combination being and operating substantially as set forth.

2. The combination ofthe shank, the locking-lever, and the sliding loop, with the slide-bar, having a lateral projection on its foot working in the slot of the shank, and pivoted to Athe teeth by links, for the purposes specified.`

3. The combination, as set forth, of the rectangular slotted shank, the diagonally-arranged spear-head, the oscillating teeth, the slide-bar, the loop, and the locking-lever, for the purposes specified. l v

4. The combination, in a horse hay-fork, of a shank, a sclf-loeking'levcr pi'votedon and vibrating parallel with the shank, and a loop sliding on the sha-nk and embracing the shank and locking-lever, and operating the latter by its ascent, as set forth. i

5. The combination, substantially as set forth, .with a horse hay-fork, of pins or skewers, to be inserted crosswise into the load, to bind together and compress the hay.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name. i

' ANTHONY SMITH.

Witnesses:

. J. J. CLARKE,

RIeHARD S. Mownmc. 

